Abstract:

A vehicle cabinet having cabinet cleats used in conjunction with a vehicle
cabin having cabinet cleat receivers is provided for use with a vehicle
for operation on the ground. The cabinet cleat receivers cooperate with
the cabinet cleats in such a way that locating the receivers with the
cleats is easy and requires minimal manipulation by an installer. It is
emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules
requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to
quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is
submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or
limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

Claims:

1. A vehicle for operation on the ground, comprising:a vehicle cabin
formed from sheet metal, said vehicle cabin having at least one cleat
receiver, said at least one cleat receiver having an upper wide section
and a lower notch; anda cabinet installed in said vehicle cabin, said
cabinet having at least one cleat, said at least one cleat engaging said
at least one cleat receiver.

2. The vehicle for operation on the ground of claim 1, wherein:said at
least one cleat receiver is formed from said sheet metal of said vehicle
cabin.

3. The vehicle for operation on the ground of claim 2, wherein:said lower
notch of said at least one cleat receiver has vertical sides.

4. The vehicle for operation on the ground of claim 2, wherein:said lower
notch of said at least one cleat receiver has tapered sides.

5. The vehicle for operation on the ground of claim 2, wherein:said at
least one cleat receiver has a formed reinforcing material offset.

6. The vehicle for operation on the ground of claim 1, wherein:said
cabinet is at least partially formed from sheet material; andsaid at
least one cleat is formed from said sheet material from which said
cabinet is at least partially formed.

7. The vehicle for operation on the ground of claim 1, wherein:said
cabinet is at least partially formed from sheet material; andsaid at
least one cleat is formed from material separate from said sheet material
from which said cabinet is at least partially formed.

8. The vehicle for operation on the ground of claim 1, wherein:said at
least one cleat is formed at a downwards angle.

9. The vehicle for operation on the ground of claim 1, wherein:said
cabinet being provided with predrilled fastener holes;said sheet metal of
said vehicle cabin being provided with predrilled fastener holes; andsaid
at least one cleat cooperating with said at least one cleat receiver to
position said cabinet such that said predrilled fastener holes in said
cabinet align with said predrilled fastener holes in said sheet metal of
said vehicle cabin.

10. A cabinet for installation in a vehicle cabin, comprising:a cabinet
body having at least one cleat for engaging a cleat receiver.

11. The cabinet for installation in a vehicle cabin of claim 10,
wherein:said cabinet body is at least partially formed from sheet
material; andsaid at least one cleat is formed from said sheet material
from which said cabinet is at least partially formed.

12. The cabinet for installation in a vehicle cabin of claim 10,
wherein:said cabinet body is at least partially formed from sheet
material; andsaid at least one cleat is formed from material separate
from said sheet material from which said cabinet is at least partially
formed.

13. The cabinet for installation in a vehicle cabin of claim 10,
wherein:said at least one cleat is formed at a downwards angle.

14. The cabinet for installation in a vehicle cabin of claim 10,
wherein:said cabinet body is further provided with mounting holes.

15. A cabin for a vehicle for operation on the ground, comprising:a sheet
metal enclosure, said sheet metal enclosure having at least one cleat
receiver, said at least one cleat receiver having an upper wide section
and a lower notch.

16. The cabin for a vehicle for operation on the ground of claim 15,
wherein:said at least one cleat receiver is formed directly from the
material of said sheet metal enclosure.

17. The cabin for a vehicle for operation on the ground of claim 15,
wherein:said lower notch of said at least one cleat receiver has vertical
sides.

18. The cabin for a vehicle for operation on the ground of claim 15,
wherein:said lower notch of said at least one cleat receiver has tapered
sides.

19. The cabin for a vehicle for operation on the ground of claim 15,
wherein:said at least one cleat receiver has a formed reinforcing
material offset.

20. The cabin for a vehicle for operation on the ground of claim 15,
wherein:said sheet metal enclosure is further provided with cabinet
mounting holes.

Description:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001]This invention relates to the installation of heavy structures,
particularly cabinets, in vehicle cabins during the process of assembly.
Vehicles such as line haul trucks and recreational vehicles often are
provided with cabinets for the storage of clothing, tools, food,
supplies, and other articles. These cabinets are often installed in a
relatively complete configuration, in order to minimize secondary
operations needed to complete them on an assembly line. As a result, the
cabinets are usually quite heavy at the point of installation, requiring
physical strength by the line operator in order to hold them in proper
alignment until they are fastened into place. Alternately, fixtures and
mechanical devices are sometimes used to hold such cabinets in place
until such time as they are fastened securely. A need exists for a
simple, inexpensive, and effective way to rapidly install such cabinets
in place without the need for fixtures or mechanical devices, and without
relying on installers to support and correctly position them until they
are fastened into place.

BACKGROUND

[0002]It is known to utilize a cleat, or even a keyhole feature, to
facilitate the mounting of heavy structures such as cabinets in vehicle
cabins during assembly. Such cleats are often in the form of a sill
formed out of sheet metal having a J-shaped cross section attached to the
interior of the vehicle cabin, and a mating inverted J-shaped cross
section attached to the rear of the cabinet. The two J-shapes interlock
and support the cabinet during installation. However, they do not
positively locate the cabinet from side to side, requiring an alignment
operation, nor do they contribute significantly to the strength of the
attachment once the cabinet is permanently installed. They also involve
the use of additional parts, contributing to the overall cost of the
vehicle.

[0003]Keyhole mounting features do positively locate the cabinet, once the
mating stud is inserted in place. However, the difficulty associated with
keyhole mounting features is "finding" the keyhole with the stud, which
is usually fully obscured from the installer by the body of the cabinet.
This results in the installer having to not only support the cabinet
until the stud engages the keyhole, but also manipulating it back and
forth, and up and down, until the stud is felt to have so engaged the
hole. Depending on the tolerances of the stud and keyhole, they may not
contribute significantly to the strength of the attachment at least until
significant deformation has occurred to the regular attachment points.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004]The invention disclosed herein solves the problems of the prior art
by providing a self-aligning cleat assembly which is easy for an
installer to locate. The cleat assembly has a formed cleat on the back of
a cabinet, and a formed receiver in the sheet metal of a vehicle cabin.
The cleat assembly supports and positively locates the cabinet until the
cabinet is securely fastened to the interior of the vehicle cabin.
Further, the cleat may be formed out of the parent material of the
cabinet and receiver may be formed out of the cabin sheet metal. It
contributes to the strength of the mounting of the cabinet, which must
have a minimum overall strength of twenty times the weight of the cabinet
in order to meet crash worthiness standards. The installer must only
raise the cabinet until the cleat on the rear of the cabinet is above the
receiver in the sheet metal of the vehicle cabin, then lower the cabinet
until the cleat engages the receiver. A slight side to side adjustment
will cause the cleat to drop into a lower notch, and the cabinet is
securely and positively located. Once the cabinet is in its final
position, additional fasteners are used to secure it to the wall of the
vehicle cabin.

[0005]The cleat is approximately Z-shaped, and may be angled in such a way
that gravity draws the cabinet closer to the wall. The receiver has a
wide portion, which allows it to capture the cleat with minimal
manipulation by the installer. It also has a narrow lower notch, into
which the cleat drops when installed. This narrow lower notch may have
vertical sides, or they may be tapered to minimize the side to side
adjustment required to initiate the drop of the cleat into the lower
notch. The cleat and receiver may be so spaced and dimensioned such that
it contributes to the ultimate pull-away strength of the cabinet from the
cabin wall after minimum deflection of the regular mounting surfaces and
fasteners.

[0006]As described above, the Cabinet Cleat and a vehicle made with this
device provide a number of advantages, some of which have been described
above and others of which are inherent in the invention. Also,
modifications may be proposed to the Cabinet Cleat or a vehicle made with
this device without departing from the teachings herein.

[0030]FIG. 2 again shows a vehicle cabin 100 constructed of vehicle cabin
sheet metal 101. The vehicle cabin sheet metal 101 is provided with cleat
receivers 400 and mounting holes 102, for the attachment of one or more
cabinets 200 (not shown). The cleat receivers 400 have formed cleat
receiver reinforcing material offsets 403, in order to reduce strain in
the vehicle cabin sheet metal 101, and to provide firm support for the
one or more cabinets 200 (not shown).

[0031]FIGS. 3 and 4 both show cabinets 200 having cleats 300 and mounting
holes 203. FIG. 5 shows such a cabinet 200 installed in a vehicle cabin
100. The cleats 300 are engaged with the cleat receivers 400 which are
formed from the vehicle cabin sheet metal 101. The cleat receivers 400
again have formed cleat receiver reinforcing material offsets 403, in
order to reduce strain in the vehicle cabin sheet metal 101, and to
provide firm support for the one or more cabinets 200. Additional
mounting holes 102 are provided so that the cabinets 200 may be fully
secured using conventional fasteners 500 (not shown).

[0032]FIG. 6 shows a rear view of a cabinet 200 installed in a vehicle
cabin 100. The vehicle cabin sheet metal 101 is shown partially
transparent so that additional detail may be seen. Mounting holes 102 and
a cleat receiver 400 are provided in the vehicle cabin sheet metal 101,
as well as a formed cleat receiver reinforcing material offset 403. The
cleat receiver 400 is provided with a cleat receiver wide section 401,
and a cleat receiver lower notch 402, so that the cleat 300 of the
cabinet 200 first engages the cleat receiver wide section 401 upon
installation of the cabinet 200. Thereafter, with a small side to side
adjustment of the cabinet 200, the cleat 300 drops into the cleat
receiver lower notch 402. When this happens, the cabinet mounting holes
203 align with the mounting holes 102, so that conventional fasteners 500
(not shown) may be used to fully secure the cabinet 200.

[0033]FIG. 7 shows a side view of a cabinet 200 installed in a vehicle
cabin 100. Cleats 300 are shown engaged with the vehicle cabin sheet
metal 101. A similar cleat 300 is shown engaged with a cleat receiver 400
formed in vehicle cabin sheet metal 101 in FIG. 8. The cleat 300 is
formed from the cabinet material 201 of the cabinet 200 which is to be
installed in the vehicle cabin 100. The cleat receiver 400 is again
provided with a cleat receiver wide section 401 and a cleat receiver
lower notch 402, so that the cleat 300 of the cabinet 200 first engages
the cleat receiver wide section 401 upon installation of the cabinet 200.
As in FIG. 6, a small side to side adjustment of the cabinet 200 causes
the cleat 300 to drop into the cleat receiver lower notch 402. When this
happens, the cabinet mounting holes 203 (not shown) align with the
mounting holes 102, so that conventional fasteners 500 (not shown) may be
used to fully secure the cabinet 200.

[0034]FIGS. 9, 10, 11, and 12 each shows a sectional side view of a
cabinet 200 having a cleat 300 formed from cabinet material 201, and
engaging with a cleat receiver 400 formed from the vehicle cabin sheet
metal 101. FIG. 13 also shows a sectional side view of a cleat 300 formed
from cabinet material 201 engaging a cleat receiver 400 formed from the
vehicle cabin sheet metal 101. FIG. 13 additionally shows the formed
cleat receiver reinforcing material offset 403.

[0035]FIG. 14 shows a detail of a cleat receiver 400 formed from vehicle
cabin sheet metal 101. The cleat receiver 400 is again provided with a
cleat receiver wide section 401 and a cleat receiver lower notch 402,
along with a formed cleat receiver reinforcing material offset 403. The
vehicle cabin sheet metal 101 is also provided with mounting holes 102.

[0036]FIG. 15 shows a view of a vehicle cabin 100 having several varieties
of cabinets 200 which may be used with the invention. One such cabinet
200 is shown in FIG. 16, and is provided with several cleats 300 which
are formed separately from the cabinet material. This cabinet 200 is
again provided with cabinet mounting holes 203, for attaching the cabinet
200 to the vehicle cabin 100 (not shown) using conventional fasteners 500
(not shown). The cabinet 200 is shown installed upon the vehicle cabin
sheet metal 101 in FIG. 17.

[0037]FIG. 18 also shows the cabinet 200 installed upon the vehicle cabin
sheet metal 101, this time from the rear. The cleats 300 are shown
engaged with the cleat receivers 400. Several of the cabinet mounting
holes 203 are visible in FIG. 18. FIG. 19 shows a close-up view of the
cabinet 200 installed upon the vehicle cabin sheet metal 101 from the
rear. The cleats 300 are again shown engaged with the cleat receivers
400, with several of the cabinet mounting holes 203 being visible.

[0038]FIG. 20 shows a side view of the cabinet 200 installed upon the
vehicle cabin sheet metal 101. The cleats 300 are shown engaged with the
cleat receivers 400, which cleat receivers 400 are again provided with a
formed cleat receiver reinforcing material offset 403.

[0039]FIG. 21 shows a detail of a cleat 300 engaging a cleat receiver 400
formed from vehicle cabin sheet metal 101. The cabinet 200 is visible
behind the vehicle cabin sheet metal 101. The cleat receiver 400 is again
provided with a cleat receiver wide section 401 and a cleat receiver
lower notch 402, along with a formed cleat receiver reinforcing material
offset 403. In this embodiment of the cleat receiver 400, the cleat
receiver lower notch 402 is provided with cleat receiver lower notch
tapered sides 404. The cleat receiver lower notch tapered sides 404
assist in the process of engaging the cleat 300 with the cleat receiver
400, in that once the cleat 300 has engaged the cleat receiver wide
section 401, and the cabinet 200 is moved from side to side, the cleat
300 more readily drops into the cleat receiver lower notch 402.

[0040]FIG. 22 shows a cabinet 200 installed upon the vehicle cabin sheet
metal 101. The cabinet mounting holes 203 are shown from the front,
thereby showing their accessibility to the installer.

[0041]While specific embodiments have been described in detail in the
foregoing detailed description and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings, those with ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that
various permutations of the invention are possible without departing from
the teachings disclosed herein. Accordingly, the particular arrangements
disclosed are meant to be illustrative only and not limiting as to the
scope of the invention, which is to be given the full breadth of the
appended claims and any and all equivalents thereof. Other advantages to
a vehicle cabinet having cabinet cleats used in conjunction with a
vehicle cabin having cabinet cleat receivers may also be inherent in the
invention, without having been described above.